Menu stand for drive-in restaurants



y 1961 A. BOUDOURIS 2,986,365

MENU STAND FGR DRIVE-IN RESTAURANTS Filed June 20, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q on .5 I15. 3 INVEBITOR.

ANGELO BOUDOURIS yam/c3 Gm May 30, 1961 A. BOUDOURIS MENU STAND FOR DRIVE-IN RESTAURANTS 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed June 20, 1960 INVENTOR. ANGELO BOUDOURIS @ZamX GZom United States Patent l 2,986,365 MENU STAND FOR DRIVE-1N RESTAURANTS Angelo Bondonris, 5856 Highland View Drive, 'Sylvania, Ohio Filed June 20, 1960, Ser. No. 37,365 4 Claims. or. 248-203) This invention relates to an improved drive-in menu stand and more particularly to a menu stand having means for locking to the stand electro-acoustic transducers which are used for placing orders.

The use of two-way, order-placing, communicationsystems for drive-in restaurants and the like is now widespread and it is becoming increasingly difiicult to find a drive-in restaurant of any size which lacks such an ordering system. One problem associated with these ordering systems is that the transducers or speakers used in the systems and located at the outside, remote customer stations are subject to pilfering. Heretofore, in some instances, menu stands have been provided withv compartments into which the speakers are placed and locked when a drive-in restaurant is closed. While this has been generally satisfactory, it necessitates the use of larger menustand bases than would otherwise be required. This not only consumes more space but adds to the costs of the menu stands, often requiring larger castings of more complicated shape. I

The present invention relates to a lock for use with a menu stand and transducers or speakers associated therewith, which locks the speakers in positions external to the stand. This feature has the advantage that the stand itself need only be large enough to house the electrical components needed at the customers station and further enables the speakers to be used even if for any reason they are left in their locked positions.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a menu stand having provisions for locking transducers or speakers in positions external thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a menu stand locking arrangement for customer transducers without adding significantly to the costs of the menu stand.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a locking arrangement for transducers in positions external to a menu stand so that the transducers can be used even when locked.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an overall view in perspective of a menu stand embodying the principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective on an enlarged scale of a base of the menu stand and a portion of a separable top thereof, shown in a raised position;

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse cross section of the base and top in its lowered position and with two transducers or speakers associated therewith, the one on the left being in an unlocked position and the one on the right being in a locked position;

Fig. 4 is a rear view in perspective of one of the speakers shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective on an enlarged scale of a centering and locking member attached to the underside of the menu stand top, as shown in Fig. 2; and

2,986,365 Patented May 30, 1951 "ice I Fig. 6 is a front view of a locking hook used to lock the menu stand top to the 'base. I

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Fig. 1, a menu stand embodying the principles of the invention is designated by the numeral 10 and includes a base 12 mounted on a post 14 and supporting a top 16 which carries a menu sign 18 setting forth the bill-offare for the drive-in restaurant. On the base 12 is mounted a food tray support 20 and a transducer bracket 22. The bracket supports an electro-acoustic transducer or separable body 24 (Figs. 3 and 4) which is used as both a speaker and a microphone to communicate with a central unit of the drive-in restaurant to enable an order to be placed by a customer. However, the term transducer as used herein also includes communication units capable of acting only as speakers or microphones. The transducer 24 can be placed so that it can be removed fromthe bracket 22 by a customer and can also be positioned so that it remains locked with respect to the base 12 by provisions which will be described below.

,The base 12 (Figs. 2 and 3) includes a bottom wall 26, side Walls 28 and 30, and end walls 32 and 34. In the upper edges of the side Walls 28 and 30 are openings or notches 36, the dimensions of which are slightly larger than the corresponding dimensions of transducer arms 38 (Figs. 3 and 4) in order to receive the arms 38 rather snugly. The transducers 24 are then inseparable from the base 12 when the top 16 is in its lower position because a lower wall 40 of the top 16 closes off the upper edge of the openings 36 and prevents the arms 38 from being moved vertically out of them. Flanges 42 attached to the rear of the transducer arms 38 by screws 44 or other suitable fastening means'prevent horizontal movement of the arms 38 through the openings 36. On the inner surface of the sidewalls 28 and 30, on each side of the notches 36, are reinforcing posts 46 and 48 which serve three purposes: They provide reinforcement for strengthening the base 12; they provide centering guides for centering the top 16 with respect to the base 12; and they provide side guides for the transducer flanges 42. At the upperedge of of the end wall 34 of the base 12 is a piano-type hinge 50 which pivotally connects the top 16 to the base 12 to enable the top 16 to be separated therefrom. A lock 52 is mounted in the other end wall 32 and locks the top 16 in its lower position, adjacent the upper edges of the base walls, when desired, as will be more apparent subsequently.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 and 5, a centering member 54 includes a back plate 56 which is suitably attached to the lower wall 40 of the top 16 and includes guide walls 58 which coact with the guide posts 46 and 48 when the top .16 is lowered, in order to center it. Attached to the back plate 56 of the member 54 is a locking tab 60 with a hole 62 therein which coacts with a locking hook 64 (Fig. 6) mounted on the inner end of a locking cylinder 66 of the lock 52. When the locking cylinder 66 is turned by a key, vu'th the top 16 in its lower position, the hook 64 swings through the hole 62 of the tab 60 and prevents separation of the top 16 and the base 12.

When the transducers 24 are mounted in a removable manner, the flanges 42 are inserted behind straps 68 (left side of Fig. 3) of the brackets 22 so that they can be picked up by a customer. When the transducers 24 are locked so as to be inseparable from the base 12, the transducer arms 38 are inserted through the notches 36 (right side of Fig. 3) with their flanges 42 located between the side wall 28 or 30 and the guide walls 58 of the centering member 54. The coaction between the guide walls 58 and the side wall 28 or 30 substantially prevents lateral movement of the flanges 42, thereby holding the transducer 24 snugly and preventing vandals from shaking them loose and bending or breaking the flanges 40, which would otherwise be possible if the transducer 24 could be moved back and forth in the notches 36. The reinforcing posts 46 and 48 contact the edges of the flanges 42 and thereby resist any twisting imparted to the transducers 24, which movement might otherwise enable a vandal to pry up the bottom wall 40 of the top 16.

This locking arrangement for the transducers 24 enables the base 12 to be of minimum size, and of simple shape, thereby maintaining its cost at a minimum. Further, if the lock 52 is forgetfully left locked, the-transducers 24 can still be used in their locked positions, and may, in some cases, be purposely left in such positions, thereby preventing accidental dropping of the transducer 24 which frequently occurs when they are handled by customers. Although the transducers 24 are subjected to the weather, this is no problem because they are made to withstand all conceivable types of weather whether covcred at night or not.

Numerous modifications of the above described embodiment of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is to be understood that such modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, if within the spirit and tenor of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A menu stand comprising a base, a separable top supported on said base when in a lower position, an opening in said base, a transducer having an arm smaller than said opening to enable insertion thereinto, a flange on said arm, means associated with said top to prevent removal of said arm from said opening when said top is in its lower position, a guide wall attached to and depending from said top and located within said base when said top is in its lower position to position said flange between said guide wall and a side wall of said base, and means for connecting said top and said base when said top is in its lower position.

2. A menu stand comprising a hollow base having a side wall, a separable top supported on said base when in a lower position, a notch in an upper edge of said base and extending completely through said side wall, a transducer having an arm projecting outwardly therefrom, said arm having cross-sectional dimensions smaller than the corresponding dimensions of said notch whereby said arm can be received in a horizontal position by said notch, means on said top to aid in preventing separation of said arm from said notch when said top is in its lower position, and means for connecting said top and said base with said top adjacent said n0tch..

3. A unit for a drive-in restaurant comprising a base, a separable top supported on said base when in a lower position, said base having a notch in an upper edge thereof, a transducer having an arm, a flange on said arm, said arm being insertable into said notch with said flange in the interior of said base, means to connect said top and said base with a portion of said top adjacent said notch whereby said transducer cannot be removed from said base when said top is in its lower position, and a bracket outside said base and attached to a side wall thereof for. at least partially supporting said transducer to maintain said transducer in an operable position regardless of whether said transducer is locked to said unit.

4. In combination, a base having a side wall, a separable top supported on said base when in a lower position, said base having an opening extending completely through said side wall, a separable body having an arm, the cross-sectional dimensions of which are smaller than the corresponding dimensions of said opening whereby said arm can be received in said base through said opening, means on said arm for preventing removal thereof from said base when said top is in its lower positiom'a guide wall depending from said top and cooperating with said last-named means for limiting movement of said body when said arm extends into said base, means for connecting said top and said base when said top is in its lower position, and a bracket located outside said base and attached thereto near said opening to at least partially support said body in substantially similar positions when said arm of said body extends through said opening and when said arm is adjacent but outside said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,879,896 Green Mar. 31, 1959 

